Give Me That Beat: The Most Sampled Artists In Hip-Hop [Photos]

The backbone of modern Hip-Hop music took a creative turn in the mid-1980s with the introduction of sampling, which is the act of using snippets of original compositions to formulate a backing track. Improving upon the breakbeat trend of the 1970s, the sampling of R&B, funk, soul, rock and jazz artists transformed Hip-Hop’s entire soundscape and remains a vital piece of its core today.

Given the limits of early sampling machines, producers had precious few seconds to snag a drum kick, snare or musical loop to create their works. Most samples then and now revolve around a choice part of a track looped in a four-bar measure count.

In current times, and with the legal issues surrounding the proper use of original music in sampling, producers have gotten far more creative in masking the sources of their sounds with chops and layering. Still, the foundation remains that if a song has funk, grit and can be morphed into a loop – that remains the consistent bottom line.

With the wealth of music available on wax, online and otherwise to the “crate diggers” out there, there is an almost infinite well of samples for the world’s taking. However, there are some artists who, for a variety of reasons, attracted the ears and head nods of aspiring beat-makers worldwide. From James Brown, to Curtis Mayfield and even Aretha Franklin, each of these artists are just as vital to Hip-Hop as they are to their respective audiences.

Check out the most-sampled musical artists in Hip-Hop history on the following pages.

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Photo: WENN.com

photo: WENN

James Brown

Truth be told, James Brown rightfully owns the title of most-sampled musical artist in Hip-Hop hands down. Thanks to the Godfather of Soul’s steady groove, call and response vocal styles, along with the open drums and other sounds, Brown should be considered the Godfather of Hip-Hop’s new wave. Tracks like “Funky Drummer,” “Papa Don’t Take No Mess,” and “Funky President” have been used by the likes of Biz Markie, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Public Enemy and countless others.

George Clinton

To be fair to the groups George Clinton led, Parliament and Funkadelic, the eclectic band leader had a lot of help with creating his pioneering funk style. And in that regard, the aggressive bass lines and unrelenting passion that Clinton eked out of his bands pushed forward a sound that would ultimately inform a bulk of Dr. Dre’s early hits and much of the “G-Funk” sound. Other regions got down with Clinton too, with groups like De La Soul, 2Pac, Eric B. and Rakim, Nine Inch Nails, Digital Underground and others sampling tracks like “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “Cosmic Slop.”

Beside/Fab 5 Freddy

This might strike some as a curious selection for this list, but Beside and Fab 5 Freddy’s “Change The Beat” is arguably the most sampled song of all time. Drake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Eminem, Linkin Park, Action Bronson, and T.I. have all used portions of the 1982 track.

photo: WENN.com

Aretha Franklin

Yasiin Bey (aka the former Mos Def), EPMD, Slum Village, Outkast and Nas. These are just some of the artists who used the Queen of Soul’s powerful vocals and jams as part of their Hip-Hop production. One listen to “Rock Steady” from the divine Ms. Franklin and true Hip-Hop fans will immediately recognize the groove.

Bob James

Jazz keyboardist and producer Bob James is another artist whose entire catalog hasn’t been raided, but two of his tracks are among the most sampled in Hip-Hop. His tracks “Nautilus,” and “Take Me To The Mardi Gras” have appeared on songs from Run D.M.C., Jeru Da Damaja, Slick Rick, and Missy Elliott.

The Winstons

Although they didn’t release a great amount of music, Washington, D.C. funk and soul band The Winston’s “Amen Brother” is another widely sampled record that has been sampled by Mary J. Blige, Tyler, The Creator, N.W.A., Salt-N-Pepa, and Skrillex.

Lyn Collins

Some music fans might say that if it weren’t for vocalist Lyn Collins, many of James Brown’s funk classics wouldn’t hold weight. As a soloist, Collins made quite the splash in 1972 with her debut album, Think About It. With Brown serving as her producer, the title track of her first record is a timeless treasure that has informed tracks from Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, Joey BadA$$, Curren$y Spitta, Kid Cudi, and Destiny’s Child.

Kool & The Gang

Kool & The Gang’s 1974 classic “Summer Madness” is responsible for the quintessential warm weather track in DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s inescapable “Summertime” song. The song has also been sampled by the likes of Ice Cube, Gang Starr, and Aaliyah. Q-Tip, The Luniz and several other artists have used other standout tracks from the band’s massive catalog.

photo: WENN

Marvin Gaye

The late Marvin Gaye was known for his passionate harmonies and lover man status, but he was also one of the most dedicated musicians of his time. Tracks like “God Is Love,” “Distant Lover,” “Got To Give It Up” and others have provided sounds for Robin Thicke, Mayer Hawthorne, Lil B, 50 Cent and Ja Rule.

photo: WENN

Michael Jackson

It’s no surprise the King of Pop’s large catalog has had its fair share of producers sampling from it, but not as much as one would think. However, several classic Hip-Hop tracks have been spawned as a result of Jackson’s hits such as Nas’ “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” sampling from “Human Nature” and De La Soul’s “Breakadawn” which used sounds from “I Can’t Help It.”